The 2022 Senior Academic Awards Event was held in Mary, Seat of Wisdom Chapel on May 10, from 4-5:15 p.m. Those in attendance were welcomed by Thomas More University President Joseph L. Chillo, LP.D. The awards began with acknowledgement of faculty members Debra Allen, Ph.D. (2022 Full-time Undergraduate Faculty Award honoree), Amy Thistlethwaite, Ph.D. (2022 Overall Faculty Member Award honoree), and Chris Bryson (2022 Part-time Faculty Award honoree) as being exemplary members of Thomas More’s teaching community, as nominated by the students of Thomas More University.

Representative faculty members from the College of Business, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, and College of Natural and Health Sciences continued the program with Department Awards as follows:

College of Business

Accountancy (presented by Maria Mitchell, Ph.D.)

The Gilday Family Experiential Learning Award: Lauren Cavanaugh

The Luca Pacioli Outstanding Accountancy Senior Award: Victoria Raque

Business Administration (presented by Bruce Rosenthal, Ph.D.)

Top MBA Student Award: Jesus Avila ’18

Top BBA Student Award: Melinda Kellam

Wall Street Journal Winner: Noah Pflum

Top Sports & Entertainment Marketing Student Award: Noah Pflum

Top Management Student Award: Zachary Chin

Top Marketing Student Award: Katherine Bryson

Top Finance Student Award: Sebastian Sims

Top MBA 4+1 Student Award: Andrew Bartolovich

Organization Management & Ethical Leadership Outstanding Senior Award: Holly Jenkins

College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

Department of Creative Media: Art, Dance and Theater (presented by Becky Bilbo, Ph.D.)

2022 Summerfair Emerging Artist Juried Exhibition Award: Kennedy Yurt

Cincinnati Women’s 3 Arts Scholarship (Visual Art): Kennedy Yurt and Elizabeth Butler

Cover of 2022 WORDS Art and Literary Journal – Artwork titled “Please Don’t Cry”: Kennedy Yurt

WORDS Art and Literary Journal Artwork insert: 1. “Motion” 2. “Maybe I get too Emotional”: Kennedy Yurt

Internship with Vent Haven Museum dedicated to Ventriloquism: Elizabeth Butler

DoCM Faculty Award and WORDS Art and Literary Journal. Artwork insert “Lady MacBeth”: Elizabeth Butler

Art History research paper, “wabi sabi: Japanese Aesthetic” selected for the Jonathan Riess Art History Symposium, Cincinnati 2022: Kansie Disney

Scholarship from John Cabot University in Rome, Italy: Kansie Disney

Education (presented by Debra Allen, Ph.D.)

Krystal Pepper Spirit Award: Emily Murphy

Education Department Leadership Award: Alyssa Dowdell

Outstanding Academic Achievement Awards: Julie Ikerd, Sydnie Sterling, Isabelle Wilson, Caitlin Fangman, Alyssa Dowdell, Mikayla Snyder

KDP Seniors Receiving Cords: Mikayla Snyder,Hannah Back, Caitlin Fangman, Alyssa Dowdell

Foreign Languages (presented by Florence Dwyer, Ph.D.)

Outstanding Senior Spanish Award: Renee Oehler

Outstanding Senior French Award: Alexis Haverland

History & Law (presented by Luis Sierra, Ph.D. and Robert Stern)

Sister Mary Albert Murphy SND Award for Leadership Award (History): Emily Hartline

Sister Mary Philip SND Most Outstanding Senior Award (History): Madelyn Dinkins

Reverend Anthony Deye Award for Civic Engagement Award (History): Heather Konerman and Braden Vicars

Nancy Bruns Award for Excellence in multiple categories, including research and GPA (History): Ethan Kennedy and Joseph Neff

Sister Mary Philip Trauth SND Most Outstanding Senior Award (Law): Braden Vicars

Reverend Anthony Deye Award for Civic Engagement Award (Law): Skylar Boeh

Tenkotte/Meier Families Award for International Understanding (Law): Grace Brogan

Nancy Bruns Award for Excellence in multiple categories including contributions to their internships and their GPA (Law): Garrett A. Flynn and Jacob von Handorf

Philosophy & Political Science (presented by Amy Thistlethwaite, Ph.D.)

Outstanding Senior Political Science Award: Grace Brogan

Psychology (presented by Caitlin Powell, Ph.D.)

Presenting at the Mid-America Undergraduate Psychology Research Conference (MAUPRC): Alexis Haverland and Erica Dorn

Presenting at the Midwestern Psychological Association (MPA) : Kevin Pollard, C. Garrett Vallandingham, Hannah Abshire

Members of Psi Chi National Honor Society in Psychology: Ehmet Barrett Thornton-Ayres, C. Garrett Vallandingham, Emma Potter, Kevin Pollard, Lacey Chestnut, Hannah Kopriwa, Rachael Barnes, Victoria Bermudez-Vazquez, Diamond Vance

Internship Participation: Megan Hill, Hannah Kopriwa, Victoria Bermudez-Vazquez, Emma Potter, Lacey Chestnut, Lindsey Brown, Ariq Johnson, Kyra Parker

Sociology & Criminal Justice (presented by Amy Thistlethwaite, Ph.D.)

Outstanding Senior Award: Kennedy Yurt

Theology (presented by Fr. Raymond Enzweiler)

Outstanding Senior Award: Kansie Disney

College of Natural and Health Sciences

Biology (presented by Shannon Galbraith-Kent, Ph.D.)

Academic Excellence, Research & Service: Alexis Brandenburg, Megan Buckner, Alan Ford, Michael Frost, Briana Hoegermeyer, Georgia Fawn Kelly, Daphne Schaaf, Joseph Waterbury-Tieman

Academic Excellence & Research: Anja Arlinghaus, Lena Bauer, Pauline Carr, Frederick Nicholas Petroze

Academic Excellence: Macee Ashcraft, Hannah Machenheimer, Ashley Pollard

Research: Michael Brett

Service: Mason Shimmel and Jordan Yoder

Chemistry (presented by William Wetzel, Ph.D.)

Outstanding Senior Award: Isabella Miller

Mathematics and Physics (presented by Harold Smith, Ph.D.)

Outstanding Senior Award: Emily Farmer

Student Research Forum Participants (acknowledgement by Provost Molly Smith, Ph.D.)

Anja Arlinghaus

Rachael Barnes

Alexis Brandenburg

Michael Brett

Grace Brogan

Polly Carr

Jenna Cayze

Madelyn Dinkins

Kansie Disney

Emily Farmer

Emily Hartline

Brianna Hoegermeyer

Olivia Jackson

Georgia Fawn Kelly

Sawyer Lorentz

Isabella Miller

Rebecca Mitchell

Taylor Peterson

Daphne Schaaf

Spencer Trimpe

Natalie Wilson

Closing Remarks were made by Provost Molly Smith congratulating all this outstanding students on their achievements. Director of Campus Ministry Andrew Cole gave a closing benediction thanking God for the many blessings bestowed on Thomas More and these excellent students.